Civilians offered buyouts under HQ reduction plan

Jul. 24, 2014 - 06:00AM
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The Air Force is encouraging civilians to apply for voluntary early retirement or separation to help the service achieve planned headquarters staff reductions.

This first round of voluntary early retirements and separations is focused on Headquarters Air Force-assigned civilians, mostly in the National Capital Region. The service plans to cut 522 positions in this area, the most in one location. Employees at Air Force Materiel Command headquarters at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are also urged to apply at this time. AFMC must reduce its staff by 372 personnel at Wright-Patterson.

Employees must apply by Aug. 1. Applicants approved must separate by Sept. 30, according to the Air Force.

The early retirement and separation incentives announced July 21 come one week after the service announced its headquarters reorganization plan, in which 3,459 positions will be cut in an effort to save $1.6 billion over the next five years. The move is part of an overall Defense Department mandate to cut headquarters staff by 20 percent.

After this round, similar voluntary early retirement and separation offers will follow at each remaining major command.

After that, there will be at least one more round of civilian workforce management, including involuntary separations, to achieve the required cutbacks.

The headquarters reorganization includes the creation of the Air Force Installation Mission and Support Center, which will consolidate installation support for Air Force bases. Previously, independent offices at each major command handled the support. The move is a way to reduce overhead and redundant staff across the service.

The new center will have a staff of about 350, at a location that has not yet been determined. Civilians can apply for positions in this new office, said Maj. Gen. Theresa Carter, special assistant to the commander of Air Force Materiel Command who oversaw the headquarters reorganization.